THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter Six- Abhoritions

/

A faint sound like that of a scream caused Goliathus to pause in his feeding frenzy. He literally stopped, frozen, blood dripping down the corners of his mouth and from his claws. Even as Dinarius returned and dropped another deer next to the other one, he still did not move. Starcrow tilted his head far down.
Goli? Goli?
The bird obviously had trouble with "ius" sounds, and so only spoke the syllables it could manage. But the black bird seemed concerned and stared with unblinking eyes at its master."What's wrong? Let me guess..." Dinarius got a mischievous look in his eye. "Indigestion, right? Serves you right for gulping your food down like that...I mean geez I've gotten some major hunger pangs in my life, too, but the way you eat is unreal!"
The larger heradus paid no attention, his eyes transfixed to the ground, slightly narrowed and intent. Trevor had been keeping a far distance, but the human suddenly stepped forward...with much care...and studied his former cellmate for a while.
"I think he heard something. Seems to me your friend has got some incredible senses. I'd gather he'd need them...for dealing with the likes of those blood-suckers."
Dinarius looked back towards Goliathus but frowned. "I heard nothing...unusual." The little furry bat crept round his neck and chirped at Trevor as if to second his statement.
"Well I guess we're going to have to wait until he says some-"
Ami...Ami? Something is wrong!
Goliathus shot to his feet, completely ignoring his hunger now. He sniffed the air desperately, but grew quickly frustrated as it seemed he could not pick up on what he was looking for. "Ami? Whose Ami?"
My... Goliathus did not turn but kept staring ahead. He walked a few paces forward, using all senses intently. ...mate...love. You will help, Dinarius?
"Uhh...sure. But two questions...one, you have a MATE? And two...do you remember me? I don't recall telling you my name."
Your bat told me. He finally turned around and had a surprisingly worried look in his fierce eyes. And yes, I do, but the memories are vague. But since you are here, perhaps you will help me find her.
Dinarius shook his head in disbelief. "A female heradus? I never heard of such a thing...when did Maniel manage that?"
She is human. No heradus. Goliathus cracked a grin but it was short-lived, he was far too worried. Even though at the present moment he was liking Dinarius. He felt quite sure that this one could be trusted.
Trusted like a brother.
The smaller, more slender of the two burst out laughing. Trevor just shook his head in disbelief.
"A human mate? Ha ha! That's funny. Really it is." Dinarius patted him on the shoulder. "You're funny, you know that? I like you already. Scary son of a bitch...but you're a hoot." Goliathus snorted. I do not kid you. And why...would you call my mother a bitch? A snarl sent Dinarius' smile in complete reverse.
He shook his head with a sigh. "It was a...figure of speech, as humans call it. I meant no real insult to your mother. I would never say anything of the sort about Annabelle. It's just that...I can't believe what you're telling me. I mean...just about every human fears us. We haven't gotten well acquainted and it was never Maniel's intention. We were a secret weapon."
With wide eyes Goliathus regarded him curiously. You know about Annabelle?
"Well of course I do. I knew her before you were even born. I used to guard Mia for her and..." Dinarius stopped, his face crestfallen. He seemed unable to finish.
Puvo chirped, and Goliathus looked to him. There was much respectful silence before the King heradus spoke up once more. I see. You guarded the child of Maniel which the vampires managed to kill. He snarled again. I would never kill children. That I could never do...none as young as that anyhow.
Dinarius suddenly stared at Goliathus with an incredulous look that caught his attention immediately. "What...did you say?"
Goliathus thought on it. And then he realized the impact of what he had said to one who knew nothing of his past. He frowned, suddenly troubled and also agitated that he was locked in conversation when he had a sinking feeling about Ami. He didn't want to deal with this now. But if he wanted the other heradus' help, he was going to have to.
Even though the chances of a friendship might come crumbling down.
I said that I never killed small children.
"Yes, I understand that part. But..that implies that you HAVE killed humans, and I'm almost afraid to ask."
I have...yes..I have.
"Why?"
Goliathus knew the demanded and stern question had to be answered.
It was...a dark time. Very dark...and an age I have yet to completely conquer.
"WHAT are you talking about?"
You know not of any of it?
"How would I? Whatever this "it" is. I've been asleep in a stone grave for over...well probably a thousand years, as Puvo has told me. The last thing I remember was the great conflict before the vampires left the village...where most of the more primitive heradus were destroyed and only I remained. Well, and then you, of course."
Then you would not know...but why have you slept for so long? My hibernation was a curse...I slept for twenty three years and was only allowed twenty three days to be awake...because of the first humans I had killed.
"What twenty three humans?" Dinarius still stared at him in utter disbelief.
The ones who tortured me...I must go and find Ami...now. I need your help.
Dinarius shook his head as if trying to clear it. "You're going to have a lot of explaining to do. But yes, fine...I'll help you find the human. Where?"
I am not sure...but I believe we must head north.
"Lead the way."
"Wait a minute!" Trevor came closer to them. "What about me? I can help too, ya know. Give me a wooden stake and I can take out vampires left and right." He smirked. "That and some beer to get me in the mood, works every time."
An unimpressed snort aimed in his direction caused Trevor to once again take a few steps back.
We need no help from a...man. The last word might as well have been poison on the tongue.
"Well...I may not agree with my... comrade here...but it is a bit dangerous. Perhaps it's better you go back to your village." Dinarius said."Village?" Trevor raised an eyebrow, then chuckled. "You mean city. But I've got no real home until I've made sure it's safe from the likes of Donovan and his clan. I'm tellin' ya, I can be of use!"
"All right, then, if you insist."
I will NOT carry him.
Starcrow stirred and flew up to his master's shoulder. Hate man, hate man!
"What's WITH you?" Dinarius sighed and nodded to Trevor. "I'll carry you, but you're not going to like the way we fly. Hope you've got a strong stomach."
"After what I just saw today? Him? You? The bat, that raven? The thing with the deer?" Trevor looked around then nodded with his arms folded. "I can handle it, I assure you."

/

The screams were loud and sharp, enough so that Chasseur, despite his own shrill voice, had to cover his ears. But he only grinned the next moment, changing the leather straps around and tightening them. It was so fun to use the humans' own primitive torture devices on them. They were really quite brilliant creatures when it came to pain anyhow. The things they could come up with were pure genius. The woman lay strapped to this one, a device they simply called the "Rack". All you had to do was tighten the straps and pull. And watch as skin started to stretch and stretch...until finally skin started to separate and joints began to crack.
The screams increased in volume. The woman was covered with sweat and her body was shaking. Pity I would have to stop now. I was just starting to have fun.
But he needed her alive for now, and besides, the baby was to die first. Hm, now how to get it out of her without killing her? There were so many ways...even spells...but which would be most painful and still allow her to see her child die by his hands?
Hmm...so many choices.
"Chasseur, do you have the baby yet?" It was Donovan, come from the shadows, eying the whole scene before him with suspicion. "I do want you to have fun, my dear friend...but I WANT the child." He slowly curled his lips into an evil grin. "Do let me savor its blood and hear its wails before it should perish."
"You play with dangerousss circumssstancesss, Donovan. I would, as any self-ressspecting Ssshadow vampire do as you requessst. I only wonder what would happen once the child and itsss mother are dead. Would not the King heradusss ssssurely have his revenge?"
"Do you think I fear him, Chasseur? I am quite prepared should the heradus return here. But he is not likely to find us anytime soon. No one knows about this place except for Marcus...and of course you. Now, the child!"
"I can ussse a ssspell, and bring the child forth now. But are you ssssure you want it done thisss way?" With a truly wicked grin the Shadow vampire ran a hand over her belly and then tightened the straps further. Ami's screams were expected and he seemed intoxicated by them.
"Yes. I am quite sure. " Donovan came over and leaned close to Ami's trembling face. "Your little one will suffer more pain then you."
It was whispered, but it caused fresh tears to stream down her cheeks.

Donovan spun around and left then, leaving Chasseur to work his magic. He would be back later, to have his fun.

/

Wings snapping threw the air, Goliathus made haste in his direction, trying to pick up the very faint scent-trail. Dinarius was not far behind, and beyond farther still, a swarm of crows followed the raven. Trevor clung with all his might to Dinarius, but was finding it increasingly hard to stay focused, as he was dizzy from all the swaying back and forth and the quick rises and falls in their flight.
"You're right. Maybe I should have taken some Dramamine before take-off."
Dinarius chuckled. "Maybe you should just close your eyes."
"Hey, I didn't say I was chicken. I ain't afraid of heights!"
"Mm hm. I bet you aren't."
I can sense her pain...something is very wrong. Goliathus' worried and soft-spoken mental statement caused the others to fall quiet. Dinarius especially was surprised. He must really care about her...
Of course I do. If one loved you as much, it would be the same.
Uh well yeah... Dinarius cleared his throat even though he had switched to telepathic means. But I've been alone my whole existence...it just amazes me that a human would accept one of us.
You have no idea... Goliathus looked deep in thought then. To be accepted is one thing, to be forgiven another. But love...that is a whole other level of acceptance that even I cannot understand. He paused for a while. She is not like other humans. She is different.
Different as compared to what? Dinarius shrugged a wingtip. Sweet like Annabelle, perhaps? Granted, even I know a lot of humans' shallow and naive attitudes are something to be desired. But there are many who ARE kind.
Goliathus quickened his pace further still, catching a slightly stronger scent. I will tell you the story then, of how we met. But in doing so I must first explain more of my past.

And so, as they flew on, Goliathus told the story.
And with each sentence he spoke, Dinarius grew more and more disturbed by what he was hearing.

/

Jezelle paced back and forth on her already well worn blue carpet. The nightmare had been so real, so vivid...like all her other dreams. This one meant something, something bad...like the time she had dreamt of the boy screaming in the dark, and just had to find him, try to help...sitting down suddenly, Jezelle wiped a bit of sweat from her brow and tried to calm herself. Ami was such a nice, sweet, and more then caring person...and even if Jezelle didn't understand the whole issue with the baby yet...didn't like it...she still couldn't imagine the child being harmed either. It wasn't right...it would stir such anger in that creature...maybe even make him kill again? "Oh no...no no...I have to help that child, I have to..." Jezelle got back to her feet, pacing again while she wrung her hands, trying to think of something. And then it hit her.
"Telepathic...he's telepathic...maybe...just maybe he can hear me?"
Setting to work quickly, Jezelle went around her small house gathering candles. She placed them on the floor in the circle then sat within. With many years of practice, she then went into meditation and concentrated.
As hard as she could.

/

The screams that had resounded throughout the hidden room intensified as Chasseur began chanting his spell, circling Ami as he hovered a few inches above the floor. At one point she even begged him to stop, but with a malicious heart he only grinned, laughing at her. Blood started to seep from between her legs, and Ami tried frantically to will it all to stop. The baby was everything...she meant so much to not only Ami but Goliathus. Surely to bring it to the world now would mean instant death? Goliathus had said in the dream the child told him four and a half months...it was only three...another surge of pain caused her to scream out again, but her voice was growing hoarse.
Genevieve...baby..fight it! You can't come now...
More sadness then anything plagued Ami's already shattering heart, but she mentally cursed herself for being so weak. And yet, the abuse her body had already suffered didn't allow her the energy to do anything against Chasseur. He was far too strong.
"Ah, not much longer now, little wimpling. Your child will be mine sssooon!"
Please, someone! Help me! Goliathus? Ami tossed her body back and forth, trying in vain to free herself from the straps. Goliathus? HELP ME!

/

AMI! Goliathus surged forward, hearing the cries in the back of his mind, and left Dinarius behind in an instant. Much to his bewilderment, the smaller heradus saw him disappear then. Folding into the sky as if it were a door.
"Whoa! Don't tell me he just teleported!"
Trevor had seen the whole thing himself. "He literally disappeared into thin air!"
"Amazing..." Dinarius mused, but shook his head to snap himself out of it. "I've got to find out where he went."
"Not that far...see ahead? He's only a dot but he's a few miles out."
Indeed, what Trevor said was true. Apparently Goliathus hadn't mastered his teleportation yet, or he would have gone straight to the source of where Ami was.
Using a snap of his tail, Dinarius increased his own speed and tried to keep up.
The Ring of Dark Fire did not fare as well, and they fell back further and further.
"Guess we won't be able to rely on them." Trevor said, looking back at the birds.
"Starcrow and the others will catch up. What's more important is we get to wherever this human is. Even I am starting to sense how serious it is...even if it only matters to the King."
"Why do you call him King, anyway? I mean I've got a lot to learn about you heradus guys..."
"He was destined to be so, that's why. To be our leader. I was temporary as such until the time was right...but the time never came. Maniel died, Goliathus went missing, there was the war, then I don't remember anything after that."
"Huh...strange...but it seems to me that he's had it rough. You heard that story he told." Trevor shivered, still thinking about the "Creeper".
"Yeah...and it's forever changed my view of things. Maniel was a genius, but he may have been a bit too hasty. Or perhaps he should never have tried to make us more human-like...we've seen what's come of that now, in more horrid ways then anyone can imagine."
Trevor nodded, but he smiled up at his new friend. "You came out all right. How is it someone with such huge talons and a set of teeth like yours can be such a nice guy anyway?" He chuckled.
Dinarius smiled, evidently pleased the human trusted him. "Eh, I have my own story to tell. But that will have to wait, Trevor. Onward."
Once again speed was increased with a powerful snap of his whip-like tail. It was all poor Puvo could do to hang on...using his little wings and his feet to clutch desperately to his master's long mane.

/

The blood was now dripping from down the sides of Ami's legs and onto the floor. Her belly was twisting in agonizing ways, causing her to scream again and again. Chasseur kept laughing evilly, and Ami's dying wish would have been to have enough strength to reach up and punch him squarely in the jaw."More...more..." The Shadow vampire reached out his hands as if clutching the air before him, chanting more unintelligible words, causing strange glows to form between his fingernails.
Ami's shrill yell told the gruesome being that his spell was working, and as yet more blood started to puddle between Ami's thighs, the baby started to move down. It was forced, and so much so that Ami felt her abdomen being twisted and yanked...and a pressure as if five people were sitting down on her belly.
As it came nearer, and she started to crown, Ami wondered why life had dealt this cruel blow to her. To both of them. If the thought of losing Goliathus himself wouldn't be bad enough, a lost child would certainly be unimaginable. Especially one so unique as the little hybrid that had been growing in her womb the past three months.
Why? Why now did it all have to end here, and in such a terrible fashion?
Oh Genevieve...I can only hope and pray you have the strength to survive now.
That was, of course, if anyone came to help them.
If not, all was lost, including her own life. That was the stone-weighted fact that sat heavy on her despairing mind.
You didn't know this would happen, did you little one?
The tears were fought back fiercely, but Chasseur knew they were there. He used one very long and pointy fingernail to sweep one quickly just as it fell from her left eye, then brought it to his lips, tasting.
"The tassste of fear...of pain...isss it not a grand thing, human?"
"You...sick...fuck..." Ami gasped between labored breaths, "...you'll get...what's...coming...to YOU!"
As she cried out the last word, her world nearly blacked out entirely as the child came forth in a surge of extreme pain.
Chasseur was covered in a spatter of blood, and the birth was so forceful that the infant slipped off the table and fell to the floor.
For a while, the Shadow vampire remained still, slowly wiping the blood from his face. He looked briefly at Ami, who was passed out cold, and then all his intentions focused on the floor.
He waited. The small form did not move, but he could clearly see the signs of a heradus all over the blood-covered fetus. Small stumps on the back that would be wings, the tiniest beginnings of claws on the large feet, even the head-crest, stretched over the round cranium. It was also female, that was clearly evident.
"A female heradusss? Ssshame...ssshe would be a true rarity if ssshe were to live..." But even then Chasseur could tell it wasn't completely inhuman...the hands looked completely normal, no claws. Her skin didn't seem to have the same hard scales, nor the bumps, ridges, and spines of that like her father.
And it wasn't moving.
"Pity...did it die already? Donovan would be most dissspleasssed."

The silence was then broken by the most high pitched and unearthly wail Chasseur had ever known. In an instant the eyes snapped open, blue and large, and the face scrunched into the familiar expression of a newborn. But the crying...it was deafening. It filled the room, resounded throughout the secret temple, and traveled out into the sky.
And it reached the ears of one very angry and determined father.

/

End of Chapter Six